Future follows his own blueprint | Concert preview

Atlanta’s Future, who plays the Neptune Theatre Thursday, is one of the leading voices in rap, R&B and even pop music in 2014, with multiple radio hits (“Move That Dope,” “Honest”) and collaborations with everyone from Kanye West and Andre 3000 to Miley Cyrus.

But the 30-year-old’s path to the top has been an arduous one.

As he professes on “Blood, Sweat, Tears,” the closing track of his new album, “Honest,” “You couldn’t have known what I did for this.”

Future first made waves on the crowded, megatalented Atlanta mixtape circuit, where he has deep roots. He’s a first cousin of Rico Wade, the principal producer and engineer of Atlanta’s legendary “Dungeon” studio, where groups like Outkast and Goodie Mob recorded ahead-of-their-time classics. Future even recorded some early-career material with short-lived second generation Dungeon Family group Da Connect.

Though he acknowledges the importance of these influences — how he “learned the game, and the format of making records and putting songs together” — Future felt a need to branch out.

“You always gotta be able to create your own path with this music thing,” he said in a phone interview. “You don’t ever wanna walk in no one else’s shoes, but just be inspired by everyone’s story … Everyone has their own blueprint. I didn’t want to walk in anyone else’s shadow.”

Future’s “own blueprint” happened to include becoming one of the most progressive and experimental, yet still somehow relatable and radio-ready artists in music.

He broke into the mainstream with a constant stream of mixtapes, starting with “1000,” in 2010, and also by lending his hook-writing and singing skills to YC’s 2011 hit, “Racks,” a triumphant club anthem that almost singlehandedly resurrected Auto-Tune and made Future one of Atlanta’s most sought-after talents.

His second official album, “Honest,” released this April, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

He’s possibly the only artist out there capable of making modern, adult-contemporary R&B (the album’s title track) and raucous, chest-beating death-threat rap (one of the bonus tracks) sound equally sincere and natural.

About us

Seattle Times music coordinator Paul de Barros has written about jazz and pop music for the paper since 1982 and is the author of “Jackson Street After Hours: The Roots of Jazz in Seattle.” On Twitter @pdebarros.

Andrew Matson is a freelance writer and close follower of the Seattle pop music scene – especially the genres of rap, rock and electronic. On Twitter @andrewmatson.

Seattle native Gene Stout has been writing about popular music for more than two decades and has interviewed and profiled many of Seattle’s best-known musicians. On Twitter @popmusiccritic.

Charles R. Cross is a Seattle-based writer who has authored eight books, including the bestselling biography of Kurt Cobain, "Heavier Than Heaven." On Twitter @Charlesrcross.

Charlie Zaillian served as music director of Olympia’s influential KAOS-FM, has a particular affection for punk rock and has freelanced for The Seattle Times since 2011. On Twitter @czaillian

Owen R. Smith is a freelance journalist and music writer, country music aficionado, erstwhile sportswriter and one-time novelist. On Twitter @inanedetails.

Gillian G. Gaar has written extensively about music and popular culture and is the author of several books. On Twitter @GillianGaar.

Mike Ramos is a Seattle native and freelance writer who has followed rap music since the early '90s and can sometimes be heard DJing on KEXP FM. On Twitter: @RAM0S206.

Andrew Gospe is a freelance writer and electronic musician who's called Seattle home since 2009. On Twitter: @gospea.